Student Seminars (NSC 503)
Student Seminars (NSC 503)
2026–2027 Student Seminar Schedule
This course provides a forum where students deliver, at least once per year, an oral presentation related to their research. Both students and faculty members complete a short evaluation form for each talk, helping the presenter identify their strengths and areas for improvement. Students must attend a minimum of 80% of the presentations (3 or fewer absences per semester) each semester to receive a passing grade.
Any student who needs to change their scheduled date is responsible for identifying someone willing to switch slots with them. Any changes must be communicated to the faculty course directors and student coordinators ASAP.
The schedule is subject to change as some presentation slots may be replaced by guest speakers in which case the speakers for those days will present later.
Fall semester seminar schedule
| Date | Student presenter(s) | Faculty evaluator(s) | Student moderator | Room |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 31 | Course Introduction | Ting Du James Gugger | Aiesha Anchan Emma Susi Alesandra Martin | K207 (2-6408) |
| Sept 7 | No Class - Labor Day | |||
| Sept 14 | Sean Lydon | Archan Ganguly Chris Holt | Aiesha Anchan | K207 (2-6408) |
| Sept 21 | Catalina Guzman Dominic Bunn | Kuan Hong Wang Lauren Hablitz | Leah Sheppard | K207 (2-6408) |
| Sept 28 | Andrea Campbell Amelia Hines | Doug Portman Tanzil Arefin | Emma Bryson | K207 (2-6408) |
| Oct 5 | Tanique McDonald Daulton Myers | Amy Kiernan Frank Garcea | Aaron Huynh | K207 (2-6408) |
| Oct 12 | No Class - Fall Break (October 12th - 13th) | |||
| Oct 19 | Margaux Masten Abigail Alpers | Manoela Fogaca Julie Fudge | Sid Chittaranjan | K207 (2-6408) |
| Oct 26 | Erin Murray Tom Scudder | Madalina Tivarus Ania Busza | Nicole Popp | K207 (2-6408) |
| Nov 2 | Gavin Magill Nicole Popp | Ania Majewska Paul Kammermeier | Tom Scudder | K207 (2-6408) |
| Nov 9 | AJ (Aishwarya) Jayan Staci Rocco | Souvarish Sarkar Benjamin Suarez-Jimenez | Amelia Hines | K207 (2-6408) |
| Nov 16 | No Class - SFN (November 14th - 18th) | |||
| Nov 23 | Eve Lang Kira Lear | Ian Fiebelkorn Jean Bidlack | Skylar DeWitt | K207 (2-6408) |
| Nov 30 | Shahzoda Nasimjonova Elijah Spahn | Margot Mayer-Proschel Krishnan Padmanabhan | Alesandra Martin | K207 (2-6408) |
| Dec 7 | Keefe Suen Justin Zielinksi | Nathan Smith Marissa Sobolewski | Alex Solorzano | K207 (2-6408) |
| Dec 14 | Eleftheria Vogiatzoglou Meaghan McKenna | John Olschowka David McLean | AJ (Aishwarya) Jayan | K207 (2-6408) |
| Dec 21 | No Class - Holiday Break | |||
Spring semester seminar schedule
| Date | Student presenter(s) | Faculty evaluator(s) | Student moderator | Room |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer Registration Announcement | ||||
| Jan 25 | Sid Chittaranjan | Hohui Xia Juliette McGreger | Pavel Rjabtsenkov | K207 (2-6408) |
| Feb 1 | Leah Sheppard Aiesha Anchan | Patricia White Rick Libby | Caleb Mahlen | K207 (2-6408) |
| Feb 8 | Erica Squire Niki Lam | Deborah Cory-Slechta Thomas O'Connor | Jean Setenet | K207 (2-6408) |
| Feb 15 | Aaron Huynh Stacey Pedraza | Greg DeAngelis Ed Freedman | Tracey Preko | K207 (2-6408) |
| Feb 22 | Jiwon Choi Jessia Ogu | Liz Romanski Adam Synder | Stacey Pedraza | K207 (2-6408) |
| Mar 1 | Tanmai Dhanireddy Catrin Zharry | Krystel Huxlin Ed Lalor | Erica Squire | K207 (2-6408) |
| Mar 8 | No Class - Spring Break (March 6th - 14th) | |||
| Mar 15 | Jessica Fiser Johnathan Williams | TBD Harris Gelbard | Staci Rocco | K207 (2-6408) |
| Mar 22 | Zimin Guo Emma Susi | David Dodell-Feder Brian Keane | Niki Lam | K207 (2-6408) |
| Mar 29 | Meaghan McKenna Elijah Spahn | Kerry O'Banion Julian Meeks | Yunshan Cai | K207 (2-6408) |
| Apr 5 | Keefe Suen Justin Zielinksi | Manuel Gomes-Ramirez Coraline Rinn Iordan | Adam Roszczyk | K207 (2-6408) |
| Apr 12 | Eleftheria Vogiatzoglou Kira Lear | Gail Johnson Paul Geha | Emma Strawderman | K207 (2-6408) |
| Apr 19 | Eve Lang Shahzoda Nasimjonova | Jennetta Hammond Samuel Norman-Haignere | Johnathan Williams | K207 (2-6408) |
| Apr 23 | No Class | |||
| Apr 30 | Neuroscience Retreat - Friday April 30th (REQUIRED FOR ALL NGP STUDENTS) | |||
"TREM2-dependent microglia states do not protect RGCs from optic nerve crush"
Sean Lydon - PhD Candidate
Sep 14, 2026 @ 4:00 p.m.
Medical Center | K207 (2-6408)
NSC 503 Student Seminars
Jessica Fiser; Sabrina Mai - PhD Candidate
Faculty Evaluators: David Dodell-Feder & Coraline Rinn Iordan
Student Moderator: Leah Sheppard
Apr 20, 2026 @ 4:00 p.m.
Medical Center | K307 (3-6408)
NSC 503 Student Seminars
Emma Susi; Jessia Ogu - PhD Candidate
Faculty Evaluators: Souvarish Sarkar & Michael Telias
Student Seminars: Stacey Pedraza
Apr 06, 2026 @ 4:00 p.m.
Medical Center | K307 (3-6408)
NSC 503 Student Seminars
Catrin Zharry; Johnathan Williams - PhD Candidate
Faculty Evaluators: Benjamin Suarez-Jimenez & Doug Portman
Student Moderator: Nicole Popp
Mar 30, 2026 @ 4:00 p.m.
Medical Center | K307 (3-6408)
NSC 503 Student Seminars
Jiwon Choi; Tanmai Dhanireddy - PhD Candidate
Faculty Evaluators: Chris Holt & Jennetta Hammond
Student Moderator: Niki Lam
Mar 23, 2026 @ 4:00 p.m.
Medical Center | K307 (3-6408)
NSC 503 Student Seminars
Aa Guo; Pavel Rjabtsenko - PhD Candidate
Faculty Evaluators: John Olschowka & Angela Hewitt
Student Moderator: Aaron Huynh
Mar 16, 2026 @ 4:00 p.m.
Medical Center | K307 (3-6408)
“Signals controlling mosquito blood feeding and reproduction”
Laura Duvall, PhD - Assistant Professor, Department of Biological Science, Columbia University
Mar 11, 2026 @ 10:00 a.m.
Medical Center | K307 (3-6804)
Host: Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience Seminar Speaker Series
NSC 503 Student Seminars
Alesandra Martin; Wen Li - PhD Candidate
Faculty Evaluators: Julie Fudge & Harris Gelbard
Student Moderator: AJ (Aishwarya) Jayan
Mar 02, 2026 @ 4:00 p.m.
Medical Center | K307 (3-6408)
NSC 503 Student Seminars
Jean Setenet; Yunshan Cai - PhD Candidate
Faculty Evaluators: Gail Johnson & Juliette McGreger
Student Moderator: Amelia Hines
Feb 23, 2026 @ 4:00 p.m.
Medical Center | K307 (3-6408)
NSC 503 Student Seminars
Emma Bryson; Emma Strawderman - PhD Candidate
Faculty Evaluators: Paul Kammermeier & Deborah Cory-Slechta
Student Moderator: Erica Squire
Feb 16, 2026 @ 4:00 p.m.
Medical Center | K307 (3-6408)
Possibilities of quantitative in vivo neurochemical profiling in neuroscience research
Ivan Tkac, PhD - Assistant Professor of Radiology, Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, University of Minnesota
Localized proton (1H) MR spectroscopy (MRS) has made notable progress over the last 25 years by increasing the range of detectable brain metabolites in living organisms and by improving the precision and reliability of their quantification. The major advantage of MRS is the in vivo nature, which allows to monitor the progression of neurological diseases, as well as the response to treatments. In the beginning of my talk, I will outline the basic principles of the MRS technique, explain the benefits of ultra-high magnetic fields for in vivo neurochemical quantification and discuss the possibilities and challenges in wider research and clinical applications. In the second part, I will show examples of in vivo MRS applications in animal models (brain development, neurodegenerative diseases) and in humans (neurodegeneration, brain activation)
Feb 11, 2026 @ 10:00 a.m.
Medical Center | 2-7520
Host: Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience Seminar Speaker Series
NSC 503 Student Seminars
Alex Solorzano; Joanne Chiu - PhD Candidate
Faculty Evaluators: Krystel Huxlin & Greg DeAngelis
Student Moderator: Sid Chittaranjan
Feb 09, 2026 @ 4:00 p.m.
Medical Center | K307 (3-6408)
NSC 503 Student Seminars
Caleb Mahlen; Skylar DeWitt - PhD Candidate
Faculty Evaluators: Marissa Sobolewski & Ania Majewska
Student Moderator: Staci Rocco
Feb 02, 2026 @ 4:00 p.m.
Medical Center | K307 (3-6408)
CANCELLED DUE TO WEATHER --NSC 503 Student Seminars
Adam Roszczyk; Tracey Preko - PhD Candidate
Titles: Preko - "Chemogenetic Manipulation of the Medial Prefrontal Cortex (mPFC)"
Roszczyk - "Astrocytes Sense and Respond to Acute Insulin Resistance"
Faculty Evaluators: Jean Bidlack & Paul Geha
Student Moderator: Tom Scudder
Jan 26, 2026 @ 4:00 p.m.
Medical Center | K307 (3-6408)
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